Dr Jyothsnaphanija describes a raga of Hindustani music tangibly in this evocative verse – exclusively for Different Truths.

It is a picture of a flowing river
Cascading slides
Ascending notes are
Caressing feathers
Thorns of sunlight
They won’t prick the soul
Which is constantly told that you are accessing only
one-half of the access point.
The arrangement in any composition
is a shelter
with gentle pebbles.
lost in continuity.
You pause at every word,
and then
trace
a better form of reality.

Glossary:

Ashavari: is one of the ragas in Hindustani classical music.

Picture design by Anumita Roy

Dr Jyothsnaphanija

Dr Jyothsnaphanija teaches English Literature at ARSD College (University of Delhi), India. Her first poetry collection Ceramic Evening was published in 2016. Her poems most recently have appeared and are forthcoming in The Handy, Uncapped Pen, Wishbone Words, The Hopper, Bosphorus Review of Books and others.

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